Mini-Van vehicles have one or more removable passenger seats. Known fastening devices include a flange with a horizontal bar that is mounted in the floor of the vehicle and one or more lever actuating latches that are attached to either the front or back comers of the passenger seat base. From time to time, the passenger seat or seats are removed from the vehicle to increase the cargo carrying capacity.
The operation of the prior art device requires the simultaneous pulling up and retention of the corner mounted latches while at the same time lifting the seat clear of the floor mounted bar flange. Failure to lift the seat clear from the floor mounted bar flange can result in the inadvertent relatching of the seat to the bar flange if control of the seat is lost during the removal process. Releasing and removal of the seat requires considerable strength and dexterity to execute. Because the prior art latches comprise a plurality of upside-down U-shaped latch claws that partially encircle the bar of the floor mounted bar flange, it is difficult to physically remove the seat from the vehicle. The carpet on the floor of the vehicle can be snagged and/or torn during the seat removal activity. One or more of the U-shaped latch claws can be damaged or bent during the removal process from the vehicle or during the time the seat is in storage outside of the vehicle. A damaged or bent latch claw could prevent or make difficult the reinstallation of the seat in the vehicle. The handling of the seat, with its exposed latch claws, poses a potential injury hazard. When the seat is removed, the open floor mounted bar flange can provide a tripping risk.